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"Roadkill Zombie Dog"

Introduction: "Roadkill Zombie Dog"

I adjusted my dogs harness to fit her snuggly, and then removed it to begin creating the ribs and organs. I covered the harness with a sheet of white felt which was trimmed away after the organs were attached. The ribs were made from coat hanger wire, covered with plaster casting strips, let dry and then attached to the top of the harness with thread and hot glue.
I then shaped the organs (lungs, stomach and liver) from lightweight foam sheets, hot glued in place and coated once with liquid latex. Color can be added when wet, by painting on food coloring, or when dry with model car paints. Be sure to do organs for both sides of the costume.
I had 2 rudolph noses that have a battery operated light inside, that I wanted installed in a heart, so I used an egg shaped piece of styrofoam , cut it in half, then coated the top of both with liquid latex. I painted them with red food coloring before it dried. The flat bottom is not coated. Once dry, peal the latex off and hot glue onto the blinking noses. Then hot glue the edges of each heart in place under the ribs on both sides of the costume, leaving an opening to where you can reach underneath to turn them on.
I added bumps (made of styrofoam and plaster strips), on top to give the effect of a spine and attached a small crow facing the back of the harness. The intestines were created by cutting a 1"wide zig-zag pattern on small bubblewrap, turning it into a long length. Then roll it and tie it every inch with thread until you have then length you want. I then suspended it from two points with fishing line and put one coat of liquid latex over it. Let dry overnight. Attach it randomly on each side at the back areas of the ribs, trying to make it look as if it's spilling out. Tack in place with hot glue as you go. You will need enough to create a pile that the vulture will stand on, and a length between it's beak and the crows, so that they have a tug-o-war with the intestines as the zombie dog wanders looking for stray cats! Add another strip on the other side of the vulures beak that trails down to the pile he stands on.
The vulture's head and body are made with egg shaped styrofoam in different sizes, and the head was carved. The legs are coat hangers shaped into toes and a straight piece bent 45 degrees and inserted into the styrfoam body. Build up the legs and neck with newspaper, and then cover the head, neck and legs with plaster cast strips. Add bent coat hanger wires inserted in the body for wings, cover with lightweight cardboard, then hot glue long black feathers along the botton, and shorter feathers on both sides all the way up the wings and then the body of the bird up to the bottom of the neck. Paint with acrylic paint after plaster has dried. Attach vulture to pile of intestines with hot glue. Add white feathers around the neck where the black feathers ended. Cut a plate for the underneath using a thin flexible plastic cookie sheet/cutting board material, and glue it on. This will help make it easy to drag across grass or pavement.
Next determine the distance you want your vulture and add a strip of intestines from the crows beak to the vultures beak. I glued a small piece of wire into both ends of the intestines and intserted and glued it permanently into the crows beak, I curved the other end and hooked it into the vultures, but kept it unglued, so I can remove it and carry it independantly when necessary. You will need to permanently attach fishing line to each side of the dogs harness underneath, making them long enough to reach the vulture's feet on either side, but having a hook, so it is also removable. This will steady the vulture so that it doesn't fall forward when dragged.
Next , prop up the harness portion of the costume and connect the vulture. Stretch it out fully and add dripping hot glue to simulate dripping blood over all areas, and coat with red model car paint once dry. Paint any other organs and areas as needed. I added small portions of rabbit pelt to the front top area of the harness to simulate her flesh being peeled back and added red paint.
Lastly, a paper pattern was made to fit my dogs skull and then it was cut from thin cardboard and creased to conform to her head. Then plaster strips were applied to cover it fully. Teeth were cut from strofoam and also covered with plaster cast strips. After dry, some liquid latex was applied to where I wanted flesh to be, and painted. Two elastic strips were glued with gorilla glue on the inside, to create straps to hold the mask in place. I lined the mask with felt to make it comfortable for her.
I hope this will inspire others, to just have fun!